Join us for #MembersHour on 22 May with Dorella Pinter Burus and Keith Sacre MICFor.
Arid cities like Riyadh face unique challenges when creating and maintaining green spaces. Extreme heat, limited water resources, poor soils, and plant selection constraints all shape what is possible. Yet, with determination and a bold strategy, Riyadh has transformed key corridors into kilometre-long green roads in just a few short years – from 2019 to 2025.
This #MembersHour will unpack the lessons behind Riyadh’s rapid greening efforts, including how planting design, tree performance, nursery standards, and urban policy are evolving to suit desert conditions. Drawing from on-the-ground insights and real-world examples, this session offers valuable takeaways for anyone working to green arid or climate-challenged cities.
Keith Sacre MICFor sits on the Institute’s Special Interest Group for Nurseries and will be providing a short introduction to this #MembersHour.
Speaker
Dorella Pinter Burus – Landscape Consultant
Dorella is an experienced Landscape Consultant with a focus on arid environments, working primarily in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. With extensive knowledge of plant selection and urban forestry in harsh climates, she plays an active role in advancing sustainable landscape practices in the region. Dorella leads the development of guidelines and standards for urban forestry, including nursery standards for plant production and nursery operations, to ensure the long-term resilience and effectiveness of urban greening in arid settings. She works closely with government bodies and private sector partners to embed best practice across policy, planning, and implementation.
Keith Sacre MICFor – Arboricultral & Urban Forestry Director, Barcham Trees
Keith is currently a director at Barcham Trees, the largest container tree nursery in Europe. He is a co-founder of Treeconomics, a founder member and trustee of the Trees and Design Action Group and a trustee of the Arboricultural Association. He has over 30 years of experience in the nursery industry and was the lead author of the UK British Standard Trees: From Nursery to Independence in the Landscape published in 2014. Prior to working in the nursery industry he spent several years managing and developing public open space in the local authority sector. Keith has travelled extensively across the world viewing both nursery practice and urban forestry management with a particular focus on young trees. He has spoken at conferences in the UK, USA, Australia, Russia and across mainland Europe and writes extensively for numerous periodicals and journals. He was the instigator of and developed the Barcham Trees Seminar Series and is the organiser of the company’s well known ‘Big Barn Conference’ both of which have attracted speakers from across the world. Keith has also written and published three advisory manuals on young tree production, management and maintenance.
